Synergies Between Formal and Non-Formal Education: An Overview of Good Practices

Until recently, education planning tended to be removed from knowledge accumulated in the non formal education (NFE) sector – particularly on the types of education delivery and approaches that most successfully meet the needs of marginalised and vulnerable population groups around the world.

This report aims to be a first step in showing how national Ministries of Education in four regions (Latin America,Asia and Pacific,the Arab States and Africa) are beginning to create "synergies" with non-formal education providers towards bridging that gap. The case studies and analytical reports provide an overview of synergies at the regional level and provide the basis for further synergies. Many of the profiled programmes capitalise on alternative delivery, communication and media channels. They focus on target groups whose access to education has traditionally been limited.

The paper finds that there is a dominance of the formal system in certain types of synergistic relationship in terms of aspirations, scale, institutional apparatus and financing. However, there is a great potential to initiate NFE within formal schools and while decentralisation offers more opportunities for schools to open their doors to civil society partners.

The authors conclude that Education for All and improving the quality of education is not just a question of adjusting education systems to make them more open, making more resources available and introducing legislation. The provision of quality in education requires a "see-change" in the whole perception of what education represents and can contribute in today’s changing world.

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PUBLISHER About: UNESCO - Education Sector

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